Dear Editor,

Many issues confront school districts across the state.  Currently, the state legislators are discussing bills that focus on educational issues such as the College and Career Ready Standards, the School Choice Act (Charter Schools), and the Alabama Accountability Act (AAA).  As these debates continue in the legislature, local systems are finding ways to move forward with educational programs aimed at increasing student achievement and preparing the students for a successful future.

The Dallas County School System is one of the districts seeking ways to provide every possible opportunity for their students to achieve academic success.  Dallas County currently provides several educational opportunities — other than traditional instructions — to ensure our students can reach goals set forth for our district.  These opportunities include a new Pre-K program that serves four-year old students in our district to ensure those students are school ready.

We have partnered with the University of Alabama in Birmingham to implement a Gear Up Grant, which will help middle students prepare for the rigorous high school courses ahead of them.  For our high school students, we offer several opportunities to make certain that once they graduate they are prepared for college or a career.  Our Career Technical school has added two new courses to its curriculum through a state funded grant, Bio- medical Science and Industrial Maintenance Program.  Students may also choose to participate in Dual Enrollment programs for general studies (English, History, Science, etc.) or career technical programs at Wallace Community College Selma and have the opportunity to graduate with an associate degree in their field of study.

As the educational debates continue in our state, the Dallas County School System will continue to move forward with our efforts to provide quality educational programs to the students we serve.  Our district is extremely fortunate to have supportive and dedicated parents who entrust their students to us daily.

In each school, we have placed committed and effective instructional staff, as well as support staff, to ensure our students are meeting the standards mandated by the Alabama State Department of Education.                                          We appreciate all that our parents, instructional staff, and support staff do for the students we serve. We also appreciate our local legislative delegation, Sen. Hank Sanders and Representative Darrio Melton for their support over the years.

We have one goal in mind – preparing our students for a successful, productive future.

Roy Edwards

President, Dallas County Board of Education